Automated banking machines are known in the prior art. A common type of automated banking machine used by consumers is an automated teller machine (“ATM”). ATMs enable customers to carry out banking transactions such as dispensing cash, making deposits, making transfers of funds, depositing checks and other instruments, payment of bills and account balance inquiries. Other types of automated banking machines are used for purposes of dispensing tickets, scrip, travelers checks, airline tickets, gaming materials and other items of value. Other types of automated banking machines are used by service providers such as cashiers or bank tellers for purposes of dispensing or receiving currency, counting currency and determining the genuineness of currency. For purposes of this disclosure an automated banking machine will be considered as being any machine which accomplishes the handling or transfer of items having or representative of value.
In the past some automated banking machines have included a camera system. Cameras have been installed adjacent to the machine for purposes of viewing persons conducting transactions. Such cameras have been connected to video tape recorders and record an image of the customer conducting the transaction. Such systems have limitations because the tapes used to record the images must be periodically changed. A failure to change the tape could result in images no longer being recorded. Changing the tape too soon results in a waste of available image storage space. Tapes that are reused wear out after a few cycles.
A further drawback associated with tape recording systems used in connection with automated banking machines is that the tapes should be maintained for a substantial period. For example if a customer claims that they did not conduct a transaction, this will likely not be known until several weeks or months after the transaction was conducted. To determine if the customer's assertions are true the tape must be located. This involves cataloguing and storing tapes, often for extended periods of time. This is inconvenient and costly.
A further drawback associated with conventional image recording systems associated with automated banking machines is that the camera may be blocked. Such blocking may be deliberate or inadvertent. For example a criminal wishing to avoid identification may cover the lens area of the camera so that no usable video is obtained. Alternatively, lighting conditions such as sun glare and shadows may render a camera unable to provide a suitable video image.
A further limitation of existing ATM camera systems is that they often record only a single image during the transaction. If that image happens to coincide with a time when the customer is not facing in a direction which enables the camera can take a suitable picture, the image is of no value. Alternatively, if a camera is operated to record throughout every transaction the available tape supply will be used up more quickly. In such situations the tape supply is often consumed by recording images of persons withdrawing very small amounts from the ATM.
A further issue that sometimes arises with regard to automated banking machines is shortages of materials or cash. Sometimes for example, the amount of cash remaining within a machine is less than available records suggest should be held therein. Similar issues may arise with other items that are dispensed from or deposited in automated banking machines. Such issues call into question whether there has been a machine malfunction, conversion by a person authorized to service the machine or theft by a third party. As servicers such as bank employees accessing automated banking machines are often unsupervised, it is sometimes impossible to determine the cause of the shortage.
Circumstances sometimes arise in the course of transactions at automated banking machines where it would be desirable to inform particular individuals of the existence of the circumstances. Such circumstances may include for example that the recording media being used to record images needs to be changed. Other conditions may include that someone has gained access to the machine or an area surrounding the machine. It would be desirable to include an image with or as part of some messages. Such information would enable persons who need to know about such conditions to take immediate action.
Certain types of automated banking machines also accept documents representative of value such as checks and travelers checks. Often issues arise concerning the authenticity of such items. Determining the authenticity of such items may be a time consuming process due to the need to physically retrieve such items and to compare indicia thereon to a genuine item. An example would be signature comparisons for determining whether a particular signature is appropriate. Such activities can be costly and time consuming.
There further exists a need for systems that operate so that when a triggering event occurs, the capture of images and other actions occur in a predetermined sequence. For example the occurrence of an image condition such that motion is sensed by a camera or that the camera is blocked, may cause additional images to be captured from the same or other cameras. In such circumstances images taken prior to the triggering event may be stored in correlated relation with the images corresponding to the event for a later analysis. In some circumstances it may be desirable to have images captured at different rates based on the nature of the triggering events, including at rates which comprise generally continuous image video capture. There further exists a need for systems in which a triggering event may consist of a change within a particular detection area, which is a subset of an entire image being viewed by a camera. This enables actions to be taken in response to changes in the detection area while other changes within the field of view may be ignored. There further exists a need to program an image capture system with such sequences in a simplified manner.
There further exists a need for systems in which captured images can be stored and analyzed. This may include for example analysis by the type of triggering event which caused the image to be captured. Other parameters for searching images would also be desirable to use, such as the content of the image, the type of transaction with which it is associated or the time frame within which the image was captured. The ability to search such images by one or more of these parameters would greatly reduce the time necessary to locate desired images. In addition there exists a need for the selective deletion of images when available storage space approaches depletion. Such selective deletion may include eliminating image data associated with certain types of image events while selectively retaining other information.
There further exists a need for a system which can provide increased assurance of the authenticity and unaltered condition of an image. In some circumstances there may be concern that a captured image has been altered so that it is different from its original form. The ability to document that images are unaltered despite transfer from an image capture system to another system increases the evidentiary value of the captured image.
There further exists a need for an image capture system that can be used in connection with automated transaction machines as well as in other transaction or service environments. Such a system may record activities and transactions occurring within facilities at particular times to enable documentation of events that occur.
Thus there exists a need for a transaction record system which includes image capture capabilities that overcome the limitations associated with existing systems.